Internet Safety and You

Keeping Your Child Safe

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Inappropriate Sites Cyber Bullying Protect Your ChildSources

Inappropriate Sites

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PornographyAccording to the APA website, The American Psychological Association, about 42% of children and teens ages 10 to 17 are actively visiting pornographic websites either purposely or accidentally. Deliberate use includes about 2% girls and 38% of boys ranging from the ages 16 to 18. Because of this action these children and teen are more likely to view sex as a purely physical act with no emotional attachments and thus choose to engage in such acts earlier in life.

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Inappropriate Sites

Pornography Cont.Also in a study conducted by a Dutch team in the March issue of Sex Roles (Vol. 56, No. 5/6, pages 381–395) they found that boy would view girls as sex objects or “play things” after regular pornographic viewing because it is the only sexual relationship they are used to seeing. According to the study “The more explicit the material viewed, the more likely young people were to see women in these ways”

Violent SitesAccording to the article Surfing violent websites linked to violent behavior written by Reuters Health Dr. Michele L. Ybarra of Internet Solutions for Kids in Santa Ana, California and her team of researchers conducted a series of surveys for young people ranging in the ages of 10 to 15 years of age to find a link between violent website usage and “serious violent behaviors” in those children. Next

Dr. Ybarra found that the likelihood of a child, who views at least 1 violent media, acting out some kind of “serious violent behavior” is 5%. This likelihood jumps to 50% when additional violent website were viewed. This research show that the viewing of violent websites and actual violent behavior are related.

Violent Sites Cont.

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Inappropriate Sites

Cyber BullingAccording to Wired kids incorporated Cyber bullying is the when a is torment, threatening, harassment, humiliation, embarrassment or otherwise of a child, preteen or teen by another child, preteen or teen with use of the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones.

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In order for it to be Cyber Bullying it must involve only children under the age of 18 on either side otherwise it is referred to as “Cyber-Harassment or Cyber Stalking”. This persecution can lead to depression, irritability, lack of interest, and even suicide in children and teens.

Protect Your Child

MonitorBlock

Communicate

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MonitorTake an active role in your child’s internet viewing. Look at what their viewing and what their doing on the sites that their viewing. Regularly check their internet history by clicking the history icon on the toolbar and viewing the show all history icon.

Protect Your Child

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BlockBlock inappropriate sites by using protective firewalls and anti-pop up protection. These devices block children from viewing websites that you deem unacceptable.

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Protect Your Child

CommunicateTalk to you children about Internet safety, why they are not allowed on some sites and why certain behaviors are unsuitable for them. They will have a better understanding once they are aware of the risk that lies behind their actions. Have an open dialogue about what is and is not appropriate and why.

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Protect Your Child

http://www.apa.org/monitor/nov07/webporn.html

Sources

http://www.benton.org/outgoingframe/18552

http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/

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